Dale took an early lead when Jake Martyn kept his free-kick low from just outside the area, proving too powerful for the Carlisle goalkeeper.
At the other end, Mackai Gee had to make a couple of straightforward stops, but he could do nothing to prevent the visitors equalising shortly before the half-hour mark, when a ball across goal was converted from close range.
Dale had the best chances afterwards, with Lucas Cunliffe firing a free-kick over the bar, before headers from Cairo Fanning and Tom Bradley were also off target.
That ascendancy continued after the break, with Fanning seeing two efforts saved, one from a glancing header and another from a snapshot.
Dale deservedly retook the lead in the 56th minute, when Ethan Horrocks’ low cross was spilt into the path of Reece Leonard, who smashed home emphatically.
Bradley headed over from another Dale corner before the lead was doubled through substitute Billy Hardwidge.
Less than two minutes after coming on to the pitch, he latched on to a ball just inside the Carlisle half and drove forward, before finishing clinically.
However, despite Dale’s dominance, the visitors pulled a goal back seven minutes later through Nathan Wheatley.
Carlisle then equalised with three minutes remaining, when Zac Tonge converted from close range.
There was almost time for Dale to nick it, when Leonard showed superb control in the area before seeing a shot well saved, as the spoils were shared.
Dale XI | Gee, Horrocks, Brown, Martyn, Pither, Nowacki, Leonard, Fanning, Cunliffe, Farrell, Bradley.
Unused subs | Braithwaite, Beesley, Hardwidge.
